The prior art is replete with combinations of materials and methods for custom forming splints on a patient.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,235,228 describes such a combination of materials comprising a plaster impregnated fabric core, a layer of padding around at least one surface of the fabric and a length of tubular stockinet encircling the fabric and padding. This combination can be cut to a desired length, dipped in water to begin hardening of the plaster, attached to a patient by a bandage or other fastener and allowed to harden to form a splint.
Another similar combination of materials described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,442,833 includes an elongate support mat comprising a fabric impregnated with a curable resin that cures and hardens when exposed to water and a flexible water restricting film disposed along and covering the major surface of the fabric with edges of the fabric exposed to afford entrance of water, a layer of padding disposed along one outer surface of the film covering the fabric and a length of tubular stockinet encircling the padding and support mat. This combination of materials also may be dipped in water to begin hardening of the resin, attached to a patient by a bandage or other fastener and allowed to cure to form a splint.
While both of the combination of materials described above can form serviceable splints of various shapes, both are entirely damp when applied which is unpleasant for the patient and can provide undesirable environments for any wounds that are present on the parts of patients' bodies over which the splints are applied.
While U.S. Pat. No. 3,985,128 describes a splint that can be applied dry, that splint requires ultraviolet light to harden the splint and thus can only be used where a source of ultraviolet light is present.